Key Takeaways

• A 71-year-old Army veteran and her amputee husband were left on the roadside at 3 a.m. in Georgia after an officer determined their vehicle would be towed over an insurance database flag.
• Bodycam footage captured the couple attempting to show proof of active USAA coverage, which the insurer later confirmed was valid at the time of the stop.
• Hinesville Police Department later apologized, dismissed the citation, reimbursed towing costs, and announced updates to its transportation policy.

A Georgia police department is apologizing and changing its policies after body camera footage showed officers leaving an elderly, Black, disabled couple stranded on the side of the road at 3 a.m. following a traffic stop over an insurance database issue.

According to WTOC-11, the incident happened on April 27 in Hinesville when Officer Todd Parmentier pulled over 71-year-old Army veteran Debra Mobley-Sadler Sims after the Georgia Crime Information Center flagged her vehicle as uninsured. Her husband, Bobby Sims, 75, is an amputee who has not walked in two years.

Body camera video showed the responding officer informing the couple that their car would be towed before they could fully provide insurance documentation. “I have a tow truck in route. The vehicle’s getting towed,” Parmentier said in the footage. The motorist reportedly told him she had active insurance through USAA and attempted to show proof. However, the Hinesville officer explained that he could only rely on the state database. “We have to go by what the state says and our system says,” he told her. “And our system in the state of Georgia says you do not have insurance.”

The situation became more concerning once the couple explained their physical conditions and asked how they were expected to get home safely. When Debra asked what they were supposed to do, Parmentier responded, “This is your opportunity to have somebody to call somebody to come get you a ride, Lyft, Uber, something.” It was about 3 a.m. and roughly 54 degrees outside, according to WTOC-11. The footage also showed the law enforcement official assisting Bobby into a wheelchair, confirming he was unable to walk.

“Serve my country well, and this is how I’m gonna be treated,” the veteran told WTOC during an interview. USAA later confirmed the couple’s insurance policy was active at the time of the stop, according to the outlet.

Following public backlash, the Hinesville Police Department released the body camera video on Facebook alongside a lengthy statement acknowledging shortcomings in how the encounter unfolded. The agency said leadership reviewed Georgia law, body camera footage and internal procedures before concluding the officer acted within legal authority regarding the insurance enforcement and vehicle tow.

However, officials also admitted the situation was not handled properly after the stop. “While the officer acted within legal authority and departmental policy, department leadership also recognized that we fell short in how the overall situation was handled after the enforcement action was taken,” the statement read.

Hinesville police further acknowledged that “insufficient consideration was given to the occupants’ age, medical conditions, and the late-night circumstances surrounding the encounter.” They added, “Most importantly, we acknowledge that we should have done more to ensure the involved parties had safe and reliable transportation before clearing the scene.”

According to the statement, Assistant Chief Terranova Smith and Patrol Division Commander Capt. Franklin Gallob reviewed the incident frame-by-frame. Police leadership also met personally with the couple, apologized for the hardship, reimbursed the towing expense and dismissed the no-insurance citation after the state system later reflected current coverage.

Hinesville police announce policy changes after towing incident

The department also announced a new policy requiring officers to “take reasonable steps, when practical, to ensure motorists have safe transportation or other appropriate accommodations following enforcement or towing actions.” Debra later told WTOC-11 she hopes the encounter becomes a lesson moving forward. “Once the bell is rung, you can’t unring it,” she said. “The only thing you can do is train it. So hopefully they will train.”